Swedish Boarding School Boy
by Amethyst Beloved
Summary: Tristan's affair with Mr. Yates has been exposed and he finds temporary refuge at a Swedish boarding school. Deciding to focus on his studies and his acting, he is thrown off guard after meeting raging bisexual Miles Hollingsworth III. AU Triles.
1. Arrival

The hum from the engines that had been droning for hours on end was now reduced to white noise. A fussy baby in the back had finally settled down, and hushed conversations were going on in various areas. The light snores coming from a stranger sitting close by was enough to drown them out. Once in a while a passenger would pad softly down the aisle, but other than that the general activity on the plane was kept at a minimum.

That was still not enough for Tristan Milligan to succumb to slumber. It's not as if this was his first time on a plane. The school trip to Paris with Tori, Zig, Maya and Cam was quite the experience full of laughter and bonding. Even though he didn't find love, he did manage to score a stylish blazer among other exquisite articles of clothing. Nonetheless, fashion wasn't going to put him at ease now. Too many thoughts were whizzing through his head. His palms were sweaty and he was on edge because this time he was alone and diving headfirst into the unknown. At the very least he was comforted with the fact that he was making the right decision.

He thought that after slimming down (thanks to training with his brother) and then dying his hair platinum blond was going to be enough to elevate him in the dating scene and the boys would be attracted to him like a moths to a flame. No such luck. The first half of grade ten rolled by and nothing was happening. To add salt to the wound, all of his friends were neatly paired up with their other halves for what seemed like forever while more often than not he was the awkward fifth wheel.

So when the handsome new English teacher started making approaches towards him, Tristan saw it as his only ticket for an epic romance that he craved for. Heated make out sessions in the supply closet. The exchange of looks that held a secret that only the two of them shared. Unlocking the sensual side of himself that he didn't even know existed. But somehow the Degrassi grapevine caught wind of the illicit affair, and after being under the scrutiny and judgement of his classmates, Tristan had no choice but to beg for an alternative method to complete the school term, even if it was a temporary solution until the summer. He closed his eyes and his mind drifted off to the memory of why he was in this situation.

 _"Please, Mr. Simpson. I can't stand the stares or listen to all of this gossip about me anymore. Is there anything you can do to help me? Home schooling? Private tutor? Online classes?"_

 _"Tristan. I know that you are in a difficult position. And you don't have many options—"_

 _"How about a suspension?"_

 _"No, that won't work either. But I do have one suggestion."_

 _"Anything."_

 _"I have a contact in Sweden. He's just about to start a workshop for aspiring young actors on the condition that the candidates can keep their grades up. How does being a foreign exchange student at a boarding school sound to you? We could then transfer the credits by the end of the term before you come back home."_

That was the one option that Tristan did not see coming. Even if he was only going to be there for the duration of the second half of the school year, he wouldn't be lying to say that completely uprooting himself from the familiar to settle down to the foreign didn't make him feel uneasy. It was a serious, life-changing decision that was not to be made lightly. Tristan couldn't stop the feeling of fear that settled deep into the pit of his stomach like a stone. He didn't know the first thing about speaking Swedish even if Simspon did assure him that he was going to an international school where classes were taught in English and other students would be coming from abroad. Would his future classmates have a problem with him being gay? He knew very well that he was lucky enough to live in a country who happened to be quite advanced when it came to LGBT+ rights. How accepting was Sweden? He didn't even have a girl friend at his side to pass off as a fake significant other. He was going to have to deal with facing this challenge all on his own.

But simultaneously, he couldn't be more grateful for the temporary escape. He was just sixteen and already he was going to be able to bulk up his resume in a unique way that would be sure to make him stand out from the rest. Above all, he just needed a fresh start. Tristan knew that he should have just sucked it up and powered through the whispers and the stares. It's not as if he would have faced things all by himself. As soon as the truth was revealed, his friends poured out their support and stood by his side to stare down any condescending looks that were shot his way. They were the first ones to learn about the school exchange and were quick to laden him with advice.

 _"Listen to me. What you need is a hot and spicy torrid fling."_

 _"Um, that's what got me in this mess in the first place, Tori."_

 _"But everybody knows to get rid of the burn from one relationship is to distract yourself with another! Think of it as the pliers to take out the nail."_

Tristan couldn't help but chuckle as he thought over his best friend's advice. What are the odds for a new kid such as himself to strike up a relationship considering his time in this school was limited? As always, Maya's words of wisdom were a lot more sensible.

 _"Tristan, you have to promise me that you'll stay focused on your studies. The last thing you need is another distraction. A workshop like this is a one-time opportunity, especially at a high school level. Think of the international contacts that you'll already be building! After all, you're representing all of us here at Degrassi, so show them up with high grades. Those egg-heads wouldn't know what hit them."_

She did have a point. By joining the class he would be representing Team Canada in a way. He smirked over the thought of coming out of nowhere only to be the best in the class. Those preppy boarding school kids wouldn't even see him coming. Along with the new environment, hitting the books would seem to be the best thing to keep his mind off all things Yates and secure his spot in the actors' group.

The captain's request for the passengers to return to their seats and fasten their belts snapped Tristan out from his thoughts. Butterflies were darting around his stomach and he was feeling lightheaded from the lack of sleep. He was told that a fellow student would be the one to pick him up, and he scoffed when he pictured a short and gangly teacher's pet that would most probably be the one to greet him since obviously the cooler kids would have better things to do on a Friday night. Then again, it might not be a bad idea to befriend the nerds. They would surely keep him out of trouble even if signing himself up for unpopularity would be a serious drawback.

He got through customs and after being eyed by a scary looking security guard, he wondered if the person bringing him to the school would be equally as terrifying. A wave of panic washed over him after realizing that this mystery person would think of it as a hilarious prank to just not show up at all, thus leaving Tristan to fend for himself from the start. Did he even have enough cash for a cab? Did they take Canadian money? What was the name of the school again? Did he even have a copy of the address with him? Deciding that there was no use to think of the worse before it actually happened, he collected his luggage and headed towards Arrivals. He decided to distract himself from his troubling thoughts by scoping out the cute guys. He nearly stopped dead in his tracks when he laid his eyes a boy who was so stunning that describing him as handsome was not enough to do him justice.

Tristan wasn't sure what caught his attention first. It could have been the way that his bangs fell loosely over his brow. Or the sunglasses resting on top of his head. It could have been how his eyes just popped when combined with the green button-up that was coincidentally the same colour. Or his cardigan that really seemed to complete the look. How about he just call it like it is and say all of the above? Tristan's heart leaped for a second when he saw his own name written on the card that the gorgeous stranger was holding, and he went weak in the knees once he realized that he had to go up and talk to his sudden object of attraction. His heart was beating so loudly that the sound resonated in his ear drums.

"Hi. T-that's me," Tristan said quickly, hoping that the quiver in his voice was not as evident as it seemed.

His fellow classmate gave him a swift once over and cracked a lazy smile.

"Hello, Tristan Milligan. The name's Miles," he drawled. "Welcome to Sweden. I'm here to make your stay… comfortable. We'll get you settled in and you'll meet the gang. Just know that you could come to me about anything. And I mean, _anything_."

Tristan gulped. He didn't even step foot out of the airport, but he had a feeling that things are gonna get a little more cray-cray than he expected.


	2. Question Mark

Tristan shouldn't have been surprised to see that even though he was halfway around the world, his new school had pretty much the same social constructs as Degrassi or any other educational institution for that matter. There were jocks. There were nerds. Some people were shy and reserved while others were boisterous and natural class clowns. And of course there was always that one group of bullies. Tristan could have been their prime target considering that he was fresh meat and didn't exactly blend in with his peers, but thankfully Miles quickly took him under his wing and there were no problems once he settled in this new group of friends.

No one was phased by the new addition because it was normal for people to come and go depending on the event or occasion. Miles never minded too much about the less familiar faces because he exuded the kind of confidence that attracted just about anyone. He was a friendly guy. Sometimes he was a bit _too_ friendly. It wasn't uncommon to find him flirting with a girl while she would be sitting on his lap, or being seen with a guy where his arm would casually draped around a boy's shoulder while they were having a conversation. On one particular occasion, Miles was on his couch doing both at the same time. He sure was a people person. Tristan was a bit concerned about the fact that if Miles wasn't careful, others would start to get the wrong impression. But after getting to know him better he realized that if there was anyone out there who knew how to live their life, it was Miles. Who was Tristan to dictate his choices? This boy did seem to love all kinds of people and there was no crime in that. Could he be... nah, what were the odds?

Tonight Miles had asked him to come over to his place, which was the default location for most of the parties because somehow he managed to score one of the biggest dorms on campus. To Tristan's surprise, once he walked though the door there was no one else present.

"Where is everyone?" he asked while eyeing Miles who was still in his school uniform. As it was the end of the day, the bottom of his shirt had already found its way of his pants and the knot in his tie was so crooked that Tristan's fingers were itching to straighten it out. He was well aware that a line would have been crossed if he did go there. He settled for balling his fists and keeping his arms to his side instead.

"I'm taking you out to dinner."

"Just the two of us?"

"How else are we going to gossip about everyone else?"

Tristan thought he was being serious until he saw the mischievous twinkle in his eyes and playful smile on his face. Miles scooped up the car keys and started out the door with other boy quickly at his heels. They arrived at the restaurant shortly and Tristan was a bit taken back after Miles told the hostess that he had made reservations for two. Had he been planning this for long? Was he inviting him out as just a friend or did he have something else in mind?

They were seated right next to a window where they could enjoy the view of the sun setting behind the calm water. Peering down at the curved streets, a row of small cars were tightly parked alongside the narrow sidewalk, which made Tristan think of sardines in a can. On the road he nearly gasped when he saw two oncoming vehicles look as if they were going to collide, but they swiftly passed one other without a hitch. The restaurant was small but cozy with comfortable chairs and a fire crackling in the corner. Near their table, there were several patrons sitting around them and having conversations in a language that couldn't be more foreign to their ears. Luckily the menus were translated in English, and Miles ordered fish while Tristan decided that he couldn't resist trying out the meatballs. Once they recited their orders to the waiteress, Miles zoned his attention on his dinner companion for the evening.

"So what kind of shenanigans did you get up to back at your old school?"

With a grin Tristan mentally filed though good memories with his friends. Romeo and Jules. Filming the West Drive Experience. Yoga.

"My school had some pretty epic dances. Like at the last semi-formal, a goth chick almost ripped my arm out of the socket because I tried to touch her piercings. Oh, and the girl who won the title of Queen had her boobs pop out of her dress while she was on stage. It was pretty wild."

"Ha, that must have been quite the show. Would have enjoyed seeing that myself."

"There were also some fantastic extra curricular activities. I was part of the Drama and Fashion clubs. But I went to the football games and hockey games to support my brother and-"

"- to check out the cute boys in uniform?"

"How did you know?"

"Let's just say I understand where you're coming from."

At that point Tristan still had no idea which team Miles was playing on so he decided that it was time to push the envelope a bit further.

"I sure miss dancing, though. Do you go to clubs?"

"Sometimes."

"I'd go… but I have no one to go with."

"Is that a hint?"

Miles' voice dipped almost seductively low and there was a darkness in his eyes that inadvertently caused Tristan to gulp hard as his heart fluttered. Was he joking around? Because the intensity hanging in the air between them was no laughing matter. Their eyes were locked and neither one moved as they continued to stare at each another until the waitress brought their dishes and the moment was broken.

While Tristan was finding his way back down to earth, he noticed that Miles was making the waitress giggle by complimenting her hair and being able to name the exact perfume that she was wearing.

"Oh, she's cute," Tristan commented casually.

"Nah, she's not really my type."

"What makes you say that?"

"She looks like a girl that I broke up with because I didn't like the way she sneezed."

Miles replied in such a deadpan manner that Tristan could have sworn that he was being serious if it wasn't for the smirk that was making itself known at the corner of his mouth.

"Ugh, so _shallow_. And all this time you had me believing that you were the whole package."

"I still might be. That was just the excuse that I fed my kid sister after she kept on prying in my business."

"How about the truth this time?"

Miles shifted uncomfortably in his chair and pushed the food around his plate before heaving a breath and looking Tristan in the eye.

"She looks too much like my ex. While I was with her, she was dating another guy on the side. And I did not take it well. The last thing that I'll ever settle for is having a third person in my own relationship. I don't do lies."

That was all Tristan needed to confirm that ultimately Miles dated girls and he shouldn't get his hopes up. After all, he needed to focus on getting good grades and finding a way to get himself noticed in the acting program because so far he still wasn't standing out. Determined that there was no room to fantasize about this boy, he chucked his conflicted feelings for Miles that came from all of the so-called flirting to the side, and continued to enjoy his company for the rest of the evening.

Because it didn't mean anything. Obvi.

After dinner wrapped up and they were on their way out, Tristan was surprised when Miles took the extra step to walk him all the way to his door rather than just dropping him off and zooming away.

"This was fun," commented Tristan as he unlocked his door. "We should do it again sometime."

"Sure," replied Miles, who for some reason wasn't budging.

Before Tristan realized what was happening, Miles reached out and pulled him in a hug. He was taken back by the sudden display of affection but he reciprocated by wrapping his own arms around him in return. He embraced the warm sensation that washed over him even though he knew he would be kicking himself later for enjoying it a bit too much. They stayed like that for a few solid seconds until Miles pulled back far enough to quickly glance down at Tristan's lips before meeting his eyes. And then in one swift motion, he went in for a kiss.

Tristan had only kissed one other male in his life and what he was experiencing right now was very different. He no longer had to hunch down, and when he raised his hand to cup the side of Miles' face to make a trail down his cheek using his fingers, the lack of a scratchy beard was much appreciated. And he was willing to bet anything that if he ripped those buttons off, he would be met with a smooth, hairless chest. Miles hummed under his tender touch and steered him inside and towards the couch. The last coherent thought that flitted through Tristan's brain before it tuned into mush was that it turned out that Miles did like boys after all.

And right now, the boy that he liked was _him_.


	3. Unexpected

It didn't take long for them to reach their destination on the couch.

Never breaking the kiss, Tristan's hand dropped to Miles' tie where he started to loosen the knot and began popping open the top buttons of the shirt. Miles moaned, and in turn opened his mouth even wider when he started feeling his neck being massaged by strong fingers. The blond's knees went weak when he felt Miles pressing his body against him. But the moment that Miles straddled the other boy's hips, Tristan froze and immediately pushed the brunet away causing him to roughly crash on the floor.

"Why the hell did you do _that_ for?" asked a bewildered Miles, rubbing his backside.

When Tristan didn't respond, he gruffly dug out a joint from his pocket and placed it between his lips. It wasn't until he was clicking the fussy striker on his zippo when Tristan snapped out of his daze.

"What do you think you're doing?" he asked, obviously startled at the sight of what looked liked Miles preparing to get high.

"Oh, yeah, mind if I smoked?" Miles slipped out mechanically without much thought while he was he was still trying to coax out a flame.

"Um, _yeah_ ," spat out Tristan in disgust.

Neither one moved from their places. Finally, Miles couldn't stand the silence anymore.

"So what's your deal? I thought we had something good going on between us."

"It's not you... I just had some flashes from when I was with my ex."

"Sounds like he was bad news."

"No! It was my fault that it happened, really. He thought I wasn't mature enough at first, but I proved him wrong."

"Wasn't _mature_ enough? Tris... where did you meet this guy?"

"Uh, he was the English teacher at my old school. But it's not as if he was super old or anything. He was very handsome. And we had a connection."

"Is that what the pedophile told you?"

"Don't call him that."

"Let me guess. Did he constantly tell you not to tell anyone what was going on between you?"

"Yes, but that's because I didn't want him to get in trouble."

"Sounds like he's guilty to me. Can't you see that he was using you?"

"You know _nothing_ about our relationship! We were in love. I should know!"

"Well, I'm going to side with the person who reported him. Obviously they did the right thing by outing that pervert."

"I'm not going to sit here and take this. I think you should go."

"Fine!"

Tristan watched Miles storm out and slam the door behind him. That was when the tears rolled down his eyes. Of course what he had with Grant was real. What did Miles know?

-/-/-/-/-

It had been a few days since the unexpected twist in Tristan's adventures with Miles. The boys managed to stay out of each others' way as they both felt embarrassed from the latest turn of events. Tristan found refuge in the library by burying himself in various books and reading everything he could about the Stanislavski's method of acting. He hoped to score some kind of points with the stuffy acting teacher who proved to be difficult to impress. During his evenings, Tristan looked forward to the Skype sessions with his best friends where he released all of his worries about school and Miles. Tonight Maya was sleeping over at Tori's since Cam and Zig were currently having a bro night at a Raptors game.

"You can't avoid him forever, Tris," consoled Tori. "This hiccup aside, it sounded like you were getting along so well."

"I know, I know," Tristan sighed in response. "It's just so _weird_. Like sure, a part of me really wanted to be with him, but that was _so_ not right of him just to make assumptions about Grant because he was older than me."

The girls awkwardly looked at each other before Maya decided to change the subject.

"Anyway, it's probably for the best because he can't be your priority. Did the acting coach notice you yet?"

Tristan sadly shook his head. Mr. Lindberg would call up random students in the middle of the workshop and give them an improv scenario on the spot. Some prospered and some flopped, while most managed to work their way through and come out on the other side by the skin of their teeth. Tristan was still invisible and he wasn't sure to consider it as a blessing or a curse. But he knew that it wouldn't be long before he would be up, and the first impression would either make or break him. So instead he decided to drop the topic all together simply tell the girls stories about the horrors of what the lunch ladies were trying to pass on as food until they were giggling so much that his problems seemed far away.

-/-/-/-/-

"Now remember class, an actor must prepare themselves by knowing how to build a character and to create a role. Don't depend on props to drive your performance! You must create something out of nothing from within," lectured Mr. Lindberg. "For this class, I have brought on a special guest to assist with today's improv session."

All eyes shifted to the doors that opened dramatically. Tristan's jaw dropped when the one and only Gatsby Garcia walked in donning the latest pair of Gucci designer sunglasses with her glossy hair swishing behind her as she made her way to the stage.

"Meet Zoë Rivas, star of West Drive," presented the professor proudly. "I had the pleasure of personally coaching this young lady before she landed the coveted role on the popular teen soap."

"It's nice to meet you all!" exclaimed the actress. "We're shooting a holiday special down south near Malmö, and I just had to pop in to say hello."

Tristan was star-struck to be breathing the same air as his idol. He was already mentally recoding every second in his head and counting down the minutes before he could gush about this to Tori. Maybe he could even film a special edition episode of their vlog. At the very least he will have to update their website with a fan-sighting entry accompanied with an exclusive insider scoop about the location of a future storyline.

"Let's get these scenes started! Now... Paul, why don't you give the class an example a man coming home to his wife after a long day's work? Your imaginary props are a table and a mug."

Paul was one of the shyer students in the class and he unsteadily made his way to the centre of the stage. Diving into character, he went through the motions of greeting Zoë upon entering the invisible door and proceeded to take a drink from the imaginary cup and walking around a bit before putting it back down.

"Crash!"

He looked up and shot a confused look at the smug Mr. Lindberg.

"If you were only paying attention to your surroundings, Paul, you would have realized that when you set your mug down, it was no where near the proximity of the table," he explained. "Back to your seat. Now, who's next?"

This time Zoë scanned the room and did a double take.

"Tristan."

Everyone was surprised and even the blond had to point to himself to make sure that he heard his name properly. Zoë nodded enthusiastically and encouraged him to join her on stage. How was this happening? How did she even know that he even existed? Were the rumours about the cast and writers watching "The West Drive Experience" true?

"Season nine, episode seven," she whispered to Tristan through her smile when he was standing next to her.

Of course he knew exactly what scene she was referring too. And she knew he knew it too because only last month he and Tori counted down their favourite episodes and the placebo plot made it into their top five.

He was going to kill it.

-/-/-/-/-

"Why so chipper?"

Miles caught Tristan right in the middle of humming at his desk in a class that they shared, as he casually hooked his messenger bag on the back of the chair and slid in the seat beside him.

"Oh, hi Miles," he answered softly. "Um, yeah, things went really well in the acting workshop."

Miles beamed and patted him on the shoulder.

"Hey, I knew you could do it."

Tristan could tell by the warm tone in his voice that the awkwardness was fading away. Sensing that they were in a good place, he figured that he might as well get an apology in while he had the chance.

"Look, I'm sorry about last week—"

"Nah, don't worry about it. I'm just not use to having my ego bruised. But I'm actually seeing someone now so it's all cool."

"Lucky guy."

" _Girl._ "

The blond whisked his head and saw Miles offer him a cocky smile. He nodded in response as the teacher called for everyone's attention. Yes, Tristan was taken back by this new information, but ultimately he knew it was for the best.

-/-/-/-/-

Tristan was still riding on his high when he left class and made his way to the cafeteria. He was surprised to see Zoë sitting at one of the tables playing around with her phone. He made his way towards her and she waved for him to sit when she noticed that he was there.

"So the cast of West Drive actually know that I exist."

"We're always talking about your videos in the greenroom. Your web series is a big hit so you could imagine _my_ surprise when I found you even though we couldn't be further away from home."

"Chalk it up to the Canadian connection!"

"Ugh, do _not_ make me homesick. I'm already craving for the perfect poutine."

Tristan threw his head back laughing. That's when he caught sight of Miles and beckoned him over.

"Hey Miles! Meet my new friend!"

Miles sauntered over, giving Zoë a sweeping look that was not too far off from the once-over Tristan received at the airport. Naturally she preened at the attention. Rolling his eyes at the scene, he was going to formally introduce the two before his face fell at the sight of them enthusiastically making out.

That was when Tristan realized that the girl that Miles was seeing was Zoë.


	4. Revelation

"Honestly, I _am_ happy for them," insisted Tristan for the umpteenth time. But the two knuckleheads sitting on the other side of his computer screen were refusing to take him seriously.

"I dunno. From the way Tori described that kiss things sure sounded pretty steamy," quipped Zig with a wry smile that the poor quality of the web camera couldn't hide.

"For sure," chimed in Cam. "Who cares if it's been a few months. The way you're always talking about him suggests otherwise."

Tristan let out an exasperated sigh but secretly he wasn't minding the guy time. Maya and Tori were out looking for new pageant dresses and bantering with his buddies who had known him for years was what he needed.

"We're just saying that this Miles guy seems like a step up from Mr. Pervert."

"Why does everyone keep calling him that?" Tristan groaned in frustration. "So what if he was a bit older than me? We were two people in a relationship who respected one another."

Zig and Cam grew quiet as they shared uncomfortable looks with each other and seemed to communicate without using words by either shaking or nodding their heads.

"Guys… what's going on?"

'We were sure that the girls told you this already, but it seems that they were waiting for you to come back this weekend," began Cam. "Someone just reported that he was groped by Yates."

Tristan felt his head spinning. His mouth was dry and he suddenly broke into a cold sweat. He was sure that he would lose his lunch any second. His lover that he had given so much to was actually a predator. And he fell for it. Hook. Line. Sinker.

"Who?" he asked weakly.

"That Asian kid who runs the comic book club," shrugged Zig. "I can't remember his name."

"I… I'm going to go lie down now."

He didn't even bother waiting for his friends to say their goodbyes as he closed his laptop. He shut the lights off and curled under his duvet wrapping his arms around his knees and bringing them close to his chest. The knot in his stomach squeezed impossibly tight and that was when a salty teardrop rolled down his cheek. Then another, and another. Of course what he had wasn't real. Grant never introduced him to his friends like Miles did. He never even took the time to really get to know him like Miles did. Next time Tristan needed to find someone more like Miles. It was too bad that he was leaving the country in a matter of days and had missed his chance with him all together. But at least he could go home knowing the truth, and in a way that made him feel stronger.

-/-/-/-

Tristan was pacing anxiously in the empty theatre room, waiting impatiently for Zoë who promised him that she would sweet talk the acting coach to get him his final progress report early rather than wait for the results to be posted online. Just when he was going to lose hope she waltzed through the door, envelope in hand.

"What, were you losing faith in your bestie?" she pouted.

"Zo, you're amazeballs!" squealed Tristan as he snatched the document and ripped it open. Zoë didn't have to ask how he did since the way he danced around the room pretty much answered her question. Tristan was so busy celebrating he almost didn't notice when another person entered. He was tall, dark and handsome with just the right amount of stubble to give him a dangerous edge. Tristan watched the stranger pull Zoë in his arms and dipped her into a kiss before reaching in his coat pocket and pulling out a pair of designer shades.

"You forgot these in the back seat of my car, babe."

"Aww, thanks hon. You know they're my favourite."

"Just don't forget our date tomorrow at four. You know I'm dying to see that new Arnie movie."

"You can count on me!"

Tristan tried not to leave his mouth hanging as he watched what looked like Zoë's new boyfriend leave.

"Oh. I didn't know you broke up with Miles."

"Who said I did?"

"But that guy…"

"Yeah, I'm just going out with him because he's currently staring in this great action flick, and he promise he'd land me an audition," she said casually with a shrug. "Hollingsworth is way more loaded. Why should I drop him? Hey, just looking out for number one."

With that she slipped on her sunglasses and strutted out of the room leaving Tristan stunned. He automatically reached for his phone and without thinking twice he texted his friend asking if he wanted to go to cinema with him the next day. He didn't wait long before he received a confirmation. Tristan had no regrets with what was going to happen.

Miles had to know the truth.

-/-/-/-

That afternoon, instead of watching Zoë's love life implode, he found that seeking solace by rounding up his friends for one final Skype session was enough to ease his frazzled nerves. It was his last day in Sweden before he would be flying back home and leaving the drama behind.

"You did the right thing, Tristan," soothed Maya. "The longer this West Drive girl is going to string Miles along, the more it's going to hurt."

"And now you can nab him for yourself!" cheered Zig with glee.

"Oh, would you stop encouraging his libido already?" asked an annoyed Tori swatting his arm. "It's like you pushing him to find someone to kiss before his stage smooch with Dave all over again."

"Why shouldn't he take a chance?" Cam questioned. "Make the most of the time he has left even if it's just a day?"

"Because I don't want my heart to be crushed when Miles says that he's not into me," replied Tristan. "And even if he still was… it would hurt like hell if he returned my feelings are we're split apart by distance. No, it's a lot easier to leave as friends"

Just then Tristan's cell went off and jumped when he read Zoë's name on the caller ID.

"Guys… it's Zoë… what do I do?"

"Answer it!" his four friends cried out at the same time.

Tristan picked up the phone and his friends watched him turn white before he hung up.

"Tris… what happened?" asked Maya.

"Zoë… she told me that she wasn't cheating on Miles after all."

"What?!" yelled Tori.

"That guy she was with? It turns out that he dug up some dirt on her and he was about to release it to the press," Tristan explained. "So she dated him until her attorney was able to draft up a gag order. Zoë was actually going to tell Miles that tonight but he saw the two of them together first and he's not taking her back."

"Woah, Tristan," commented Cam quietly. "What are you going to do?"

Tristan rose from his seat.

"I have to find Miles. I have to fix this or it will haunt me forever."

-/-/-/-

It wasn't hard to track down Miles and arrange to meet him on the bridge in a nearby park. It wasn't hard to get everything off his chest and set the record straight. And Tristan firmly told himself that it wasn't going to be hard to watch Miles light up with the newfound information and get his girlfriend back.

But that last part didn't happen. Upon receiving the news Miles stayed put with an unreadable expression on his face.

"Uh, Miles? Are you listening?"

"Remember when I told you that I always felt that there was no room for a third person in any of my relationships?"

"Sure, but Zoë _wasn't_ using you! Yay?"

Miles looked down and took a breath before he looked back up at Tristan. It was beginning to drizzle but he didn't let that bother him.

"I was going to break it off with her even before I found out about that other guy," he explained. "Because there's someone else. I thought I could distract myself. I tried to let it go, but there has always been someone else."

Tristan wracked his brain wondering who Miles could be referring to. A crack of thunder sounded off in the distance and it was starting to rain a bit harder, but his feet were planted on the ground.

"Who is it?"

"It's you, Tris. It's always been you."

"Really?"

"When you pushed me away, I accepted the fact that you didn't feel the same way. But after you looked out for my feelings, I have to know the truth. Do you feel the same way?"

"I leave tomorrow."

"That's not an answer."

Of course it wasn't. He knew very well that beating around the bush was not going to cut it. Miles wouldn't let him go until a direct response was given despite the heavy drops pounding down their backs. Tristan thought back to the countless number of conversations that he had concerning this boy with his friends about how he didn't have feelings for him. He attempted to remind himself how jumping into a tryst when he was going to hop on a plane in a matter of hours would be a terrible idea. His heart has gone through the wringer enough. He couldn't go through something of this magnitude.

But.

What if life was trying to give him one last chance at something that could be incredibly special despite its fleeting nature? Here was a boy drenched from head to toe. A flash of lightning lit up the sky to show his unwavering gaze fixed directly on him. What if Tristan was supposed to go on one last wild adventure before returning home to his mundane routine? What if this was the kind of night that he could never get back and he needed to make the most of this moment?

His head and his heart were playing the ultimate game of tug-of-war. He could role the dice and see where the night would lead them. He could just as easily pull the plug and they would simply part as friends. Nothing more, nothing less.

It was time to make decision.


	5. Departure

After Tristan's relationship with Grant fell apart, his first instinct was to run away, which he did. Now it was months later and he found himself face to face with this beautiful boy drenched in the cold and unforgiving rain whose feelings for him were genuine. Was he going to choose not to run away for once? Was one sole night of bliss truly worth the many, many weeks of heartache to come if he decided to give this a chance?

Yes it was.

Tristan dove into Miles' arms and buried both hands in the brunet's saturated locks of hair. He pressed their foreheads together, never averting his gaze even when his eyes were misting up from the tornado of emotions spinning inside of him. They were both soaked to the bone but that didn't matter. Miles' arms immediately wrapped around Tristan's waist protectively in a way that suggested if it was up to him, he would have kept him there until he was forced to let go. The blond managed to change his mind when he kindly reminded him that they would at least be more comfortable if they were out from the cold.

They found themselves over at Tristan's dorm room. The kisses continued but Miles' shivering was getting out of control so the other boy reluctantly pushed him away. Of course Tristan's first instinct was to cheekily suggest that they strip and use each other's body heat to keep warm. But that would be too emotionally taxing considering that they might never see each other again.

"We can't have you catching pneumonia," Tristan said patiently as he turned away and started to dig around in his tightly packed luggage to retrieve a matching set of blue and red hoodies with jogging pants. He tossed the blue ones to Miles.

"Trust me, you'll be a lot better off in these."

They quickly changed out of their wet clothes and once they were snug and dry, Tristan took hold of Miles' hand and led him to the couch. He brought the brunet closer by guiding him to sit on his lap and he wrapped his arms around his neck. He released a blissful sigh when Miles' arms snaked around him to mold their bodies even closer together for the perfect fit. Their slow, soft kisses continued until they both drifted asleep.

Hours later, Tristan's alarm on phone started to vibrate, signalling him that it was time to catch his plane. He slipped out of Miles' arms and quickly gathered his belongings. He contemplated waking him up to say goodbye or even taking a chance of dropping one last kiss on his forehead. But he decided that it would make walking away even more painful than it actually was. He settled on taking a quick snap of this angel to preserve the memories of a chapter in his life that was rapidly coming to a close. This Swedish boarding school boy was definitely not someone Tristan will forget anytime soon.

-/-/-/-

During the flight, Tristan wondered if he was doing the right thing. His feelings for Miles were so strong. Couldn't be just go back to Sweden in the fall? Then they could be together and their love story would have a happy ending. God knows he deserved it. His last relationship was far from the epic romance that he built in his head. But ultimately he knew that it was time to stop running away. Being in denial could only go so far. It was time to face his troubles head on. He knew that his presence was crucial when the time would come to convict Grant. It was important to make sure that no one else would be taken advantage of by him again. Tristan had responsibilities and if this experience taught him anything, it showed him that running away doesn't make the problem disappear.

His plane finally pulled into the airport and upon turning his phone back on he wasn't the least bit surprised to see matching texts from his parents that apologized for not being able to pick him up. He'd just hail a cab. No big deal. He still scanned over the group of people waiting to pick up his fellow travellers on the off chance Maya and Tori were able to free to come by. He didn't see them, but a sign with his name definitely caught his eye. Did his parents hire him a driver? Not likely because drivers didn't wear...

Blue hoodies.

Tristan squinted and rubbed his eyes to make sure he wasn't hallucinating. But there was no mistake. This was the exact same Miles Hollingsworth III that he left sleeping on the couch earlier this day. Miles ducked under the security tape to dash towards him. He pounced on him with a big bear hug and Tristan patted down his arms just to make sure this wasn't a dream.

"How did you...? Why are you...? When did you...?"

Miles chuckled into his neck before pulling away far enough to look in Tristan's eyes.

"My father's private jet beat your commercial flight with hours to spare. He's actually running for mayor this year and his publicist recommended that all his kids should be under one roof. You know, campaign stuff. I'm actually going to transfer to Degrassi. Besides, someone's gotta keep you away from the creepos."

Tristan was too stunned to form any coherent words so he let his heart take control and gave Miles a kiss so vigorous that it nearly bowled him off his feet. They enjoyed their first kiss on Canadian soil and they were delighted to know that it wouldn't be their last.

It wasn't the end of their love story after all.

-/-/-/-

 _A/N: I had this idea since December but taking the leap for one-shots to multi-chapter fics was rather daunting. Thanks to everyone who read this story and especially to my lovely readers who wrote the most wonderful reviews. The support meant everything to me since I'm 100% addicted to feedback, and I hope that 14B will inspire me to continue writing fanfiction!_


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